The Blue and the Gray (song)

"The Blue and the Gray (or A Mother’s Gift to Her Country)" is a song composed by Paul Dresser.

Upon its release, "The Blue and the Gray" was associated with singer Richard Jose, a counter-tenor who worked closely with Dresser[2] and who often sang the song on the vaudeville stage.

[3] The song was recorded by Arthur Collins on March 10, 1900, for Berliner Gramophone[4] and again on July 21, 1900, for the Victor Talking Machine Company.

Its lyrics are:[7] A mother's gift to her country's cause is a story yet untold She had three sons, three only sons, each worth his weight in gold She gave them up for the sake of war, while her heart was filled with pain As each went away, she was heard to say, he will never return again

She's alone tonight, while the stars shine bright, with a heart full of despair On the last great day, I can hear her say, my three boys will be there Perhaps they'll wait, at the heav'nly gates, on guard beside their guns Then the mother true, to the gray and blue, may enter with her sons This article incorporates text from American ballads and songs, by Louise Pound, a publication from 1922, now in the public domain in the United States.